A Jewish atheist might still identify as Jewish.  That is frequently still part of his or her group identity, all the more since modern anti-semitism, based on perceiving Jews as a separate race, doesn’t really make any allowances for those who no longer practice their faith–even if they convert to Christianity.  Atheists and Christians of heavily Jewish ancestry were basically in just as much danger as their traditionally religious brethren during the Holocaust.  Did not matter at all how much they’d assimilated themselves into German culture.  

An atheist raised Christian might still feel some cultural identification with Christianity, but Christianity was never nearly so much about ancestry, since it very quickly became a multi-ethnic faith, based heavily around shared beliefs and values.  Judaism is about that as well, but historical forces have led to it also being at the center of a global diaspora, and although Israel began as a secular state founded in great part by skeptics, it didn’t stay one very long.  It’s very difficult to draw a clear dividing line between being of Jewish ancestry and of Jewish faith.  Whereas most Christians don’t have this problem, though the Irish may be an exception. 😉 

i can’t speak for the rabbi, but I’d guess he was at least in part saying that Dawkins should tend to his own patch, and simply doesn’t understand what Judaism means to even non-observant Jews.  Dawkins does not, in the main, strike me as a person of great sensitivity to the viewpoints of others.   I mean, he responded to pedophilia scandals by saying he was abused as a child, and he’s just fine, no bother at all, why make such a fuss about it?  🙄  

But what does that mean, exactly?  They are Jewish by race alone?  That ties in nicely with modern antisemitism. 

What the rabbi was perhaps saying was that Dawkins couldn’t understand that Jews have been arguing with each other about what to believe and how to believe it for millennia, while still seeing each other as connected, as owing each other some sense of kindred feeling, of loyalty, solidarity in the face of shared tribulations and oppression by imperial powers (such as England’s upper classes, and even their intellectuals, who have a long tradition of despising Jews).  

Might be something to be learned there.  If you were capable of learning.

dgorden said

Godspell said, “But what does that mean, exactly?  They are Jewish by race alone?  That ties in nicely with modern antisemitism.”

Well said. 

It does not help that we sometimes have a difficult time defining ourselves.  Here’s a short video that says it well.  ** you do not have permission to see this link **  

Well, according to the disbelieving goyim, you’re the ones who infected us with God.

And according to the religious goyim, you’re the ones who infected us with Godless secularism.

Impressive!

😉

Stephen, you tell people what they think all the damn time. 🙄

And, you know, Dawkins could have asked the rabbi.

I mean, if he didn’t already know everything, including that victims of child sexual abuse are just fine, bunch of whiners.  

Atheism is a lot of different things too, and it’d be nice if you’d admit not all of them are good.

What an immature addle-pated response to some very reasonable remarks you don’t want to go anywhere near, so deflect deflect deflect.  AngerAngerAnger.  And people wonder why those who leave religion don’t mainly join atheism.  Because why go from bad to worse?

You were willing to defend Harris for suggesting (in theory!) that we might have to wipe out entire Islamic nations.  But you won’t defend Dawkins for saying child sexual abuse isn’t that bad?  

Why do your spokespersons suck so much?  Have you tried advertising in the Help Wanted pages? 

🙂

Not enough PSA’s in the world.  

🙄